LIFESTYLES
8
Monday, November 10, 2008
‘RocknRolla’ unremarkable
DONʼT FORGET: BEAT AUBURN, BEAT HUNGER
Serving the University of Alabama since 1894
Vol. 115, Issue 54
Domeward Bound
CW | Drew Hooverer
Johnson’s three interceptions lead Tide past Tigers in overtime By Ryan Wright Sports Editor
Alabama used head coach Nick Saban’s long-awaited return to Baton Rouge, La., to set a date in Atlanta. As if the lead up wasn’t dramatic enough, the No. 1 Crimson Tide needed an overtime session to scrape by defending national champion LSU 27-21 and clinch the SEC West.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak to the Tigers and gave Saban his first win against his former team in front of 93,039, the largest crowd in the history of Tiger Stadium. After Leigh Tiffin’s potential gamewinning field goal was blocked in the waning seconds of regulation, safety Rashad Johnson recorded his third interception of the game in overtime to set up Alabama’s game-winning touchdown.
Holiday service options abound in Tuscaloosa By Jessie Gable Staff Reporter With the less than perfect economy and upcoming holiday season, there is a greater need than ever to help out in the community. Several Tuscaloosa charities are offering new ways for students to team up with their friends to help out the underprivileged. One organization, Eagles Wings Inc., a center for mentally handicapped adults, offers students the opportunity to throw a party for the center’s clients, said Connie Stokes, community relations director of Eagles’ Wings. Stokes said students could get together and sponsor a holiday party for their clients. Each party would include food and entertainment for the 13 clients at Eagles’ Wings. Also, the clients are learning to play sports and always need
UA weather
TODAY
young, able-bodied people to play basketball and soccer with them. Arts and Sciences students can use their skills to teach one of the clients, too. Stokes said Eagles’ Wings was always looking for volunteers to teach dance, music, karate and other kinds of lessons to clients. Because college students are usually the last people with extra money, there are other things that can be donated other than food and clothes. Eagles’ Wings clients have started a recycling project and are always taking empty ink cartridges and soda cans to recycle. Other organizations, such as the West Alabama Animal Shelter, are in need of less expensive items. Jennifer Earp, adoption counselor for the shelter, said they always need old towels, toys, cleaning supplies and food
See HOLIDAY, page 2
INSIDE Today’s paper
Opinions: Faces of politics are changing ...........4
Clear
UA students hang out with Tim Gunn .........6
65º/43º
Movie Review: RocknRolla............... 8
Tuesday
67º/50º
Chance of thunderstorms
Wednesday
Thunderstorms
65º/56º
Check out photos from the game gainst LSU..9 Womenʼs basketball takes down UWA ........... 10 Q & A with ESPNʼs Gameday crew ...... 12
P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-4116 | Advertising: 348-7845 | Classifieds: 348-7355 Letters, op-eds: letters@cw.ua.edu Press releases, announcements: news@cw.ua.edu
Johnson snagged LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee’s fourth interception of the night in the corner of the end zone to end the Tiger’s only overtime possession. John Parker Wilson connected with Julio Jones on a 24-yard hook up on Alabama’s first play in overtime to set up first and goal from the 1-yard line. Two plays later Wilson punched it in on a keeper to quiet
See TIDE, page 12
SEC Championship game tickets on sale this week By Brett Bralley News Editor
To enter their names on the request list students must visit the ticket office in Starting today, students Coleman Coliseum from 9 a.m. will be able to enter them- to 5 p.m. today or Tuesday. If selves in a request list for SEC the number of student ticket Championship game tickets, requests exceeds the number according to an e-mail sent out by the University. See TICKETS, page 2
Fall ARDT performances start tonight Laura Fenton Contributing Writer Sitting on the right side of the stage, she reads his letter. The stage is dark with rich red hues and a spotlight upon her. Dressed in black with his white button-down shirt atop her clothing, she is overcome with emotion. On the remaining area of the stage, another dancer moves to the ballad, expressing the inner turmoil the letter’s words have created. A moment after the ballad ends, numerous dancers strut to the sassier tune of “Mercy” by Duffy. As the all-female cast of this girl-power piece moves on and off stage, the white shirt travels from dancer to dancer. “She [Alicia Okouchi-Guy] wanted it to be obvious that the shirt is traveling,” said Ashley Young, a senior majoring in dance and English. “Every girl has gone through the same things in relationships, so the shirt represents that.” This piece is arranged by Okouchi-Guy, a guest choreographer, and is one of six dances in this year’s Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre Fall Concert. Okouchi-Guy visited from Chapman University in southern California to work with UA students. She is a professional choreographer and has worked with television, film, NBA and NFL pro dance teams and MTV. This year’s fall show features choreography ranging from traditional ballet to innovative modern
See ARDT, page 7
CW | Drew Hoover UA dance students practice the piece “Mercy” in preparation for the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatreʼs fall performance.
Greek affairs director guides students By Danielle Drago Senior Staff Reporter Gentry McCreary took one look at the University’s campus, with its stately sorority row and fraternities overlooking the main street and realized this campus was one that really accepted greek life. As the University’s director of Greek Affairs, this put him at ease. “You can see from the second you step on campus that this is an institution that supports the greek community. It really sees the greek community as one of the cornerstones of campus life,” McCreary said. The Greek Affairs office oversees the University’s 57 greek organizations comprised of 6,000 students, roughly 27 percent of the entire student body population. “[The University has] one of the largest, most vibrant greek communities in the country in terms of size and scope. There’s no question that Alabama is one of the best, if not the best in terms of the quality of the experience that greek life
offers here,” McCreary said. McCreary said the faculty and alumni also provide a great deal of support for the greek community. “That’s what I liked most about being at a place like Alabama: there’s so much interest in what you are doing and there’s so much interest in the success of the greek community,” he said. McCreary was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity during his undergraduate years at the University of Tennessee. “It was a transformative experience. When I saw what it had to offer as far as leadership-development opportunities and brotherhood, and just a way to get connected on a pretty large campus, I really thrived in that environment,” McCreary said. Although he majored in agriculture, McCreary slowly became more interested in pursuing a career in higher education, an interest he credited to the faculty he met through his fraternity, a chapter he said put an emphasis on a core of values.
“My organization had a good concept of what brotherhood is. That is, we had standards and we had values and our brotherhood was based on holding each other to those standards: working hard and being honest,” he said. He attended the University of South Carolina to obtain his master’s degree and worked in the office of greek affairs there. “I like working in Greek Affairs because it gives me the opportunity to be a generalist. While I am working with a defined population of students, I do a lot of different things. I can take what I’m doing now and apply it in a lot of different areas,” he said. The Office of Greek Affairs makes sure each organization is following policies and procedures, but also serves as a place where greek students can address certain problems and feel connected to the community. McCreary is currently working on a Ph.D. in higher education.
See GREEK, page 2